roche



(Model 2 Sheets-Sheet .1. -J. ROCHE.

LOCK.

Patented Oct. 30, 1888.-

2 Sheets-Shed 2.

(MddeL) LOOK.

JAMES ROCHE, OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE EAGLE LOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LOCK.

GPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,136, dated October 30, 1888.

Application filed May '7, 1888. Serial No. 273,954. (Model) To all whom zit-may concern.-

- Be itknown that I, J AMES ROCHE, of Terry ville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improve- 5 ment in Locks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactv description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and

represent, in

Figure 1, a front view of the lock complete; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section through the lock, showing it as applied to a front, the r section cutting through the escutcheon; Fig. 3, a side view of the key; 4, a longitudinal vertical section cutting through the case and through the key-guide forward of the tumblers; Fig. 5, a front view of the escutchcon; Fig. 6, a longitiulinal central section;

Fig. 7, apcrspective view of the escutcheonsocket detached.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of locks which are adapted for various uses-such as drawers, trunks, chests, small doors, and cabinet purposes gcnerallyin fact for all looks which are constructed with a center or key-guide supported in bearings in the case, and which center is adapted to receive the key, and so that the key inserted into the center the center rotates with the key as a guide and support or the This center or key-guide is usually arranged in a tube projecting from the front face of the lock, and so that the tube forms a hearing or support for the front or outer end of the center or keyguide. The thicknesses of doors, drawerfronts, &c., to which this class of locks is adapted or applied necessarily vary toa great extent, and it is necessary that the face or front shall present an escutcheon havinga key-hole corresponding to the shape of the key. As now generally manufactured, these locks are constructed with the tube varying in length to correspond to the varying thicknesses of the wood or thing to which they are to be attached, thus necessitating a variety of locks to meet the requirements of the trade, and this variety dealers are compelled to carry. In 5 some cases the tube is made adjustable as to length, so as to adapt it to various thicknesses; but this adds so much to the expense of manufacture as to make such locks impracticable. In this class of locks the key-guide is arranged in a tube projecting from the face of the case, 5 the tube having an internal flange which overlaps the outer end of the key-guide. The keyhole is a flat radial longitudinal slit in the keyguide, which extends through one side of the guide, and in the flange of the tube a notch is 6( formed, with which the key-hole registers when in the proper position for inserting or removing the key. The key is constructed with a notch or shoulder, which, when properly inserted, will coincide with the flange of 6 the socket, and so that in that condition the key and its guide may be rotated; but unless the guide stands in the position so that it opens through the notch in the flange of the tube the key cannot be inserted or removed. 7c The key-guide is liable at an y ti me to be turned out of such registering position with the notch in the flange of the socket. This, under the common construction, is a great annoyance, and it necessitates the bringing of the face of 7 5 the key-guide to the outside in an exposed condition, where it can be readily inspected to see if the key-hole of the guide is in the proper position for the insertion of the key.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which will positively hold the keyguide in the position for the insertion and removal of the key, and prevent the guide from being turned, except upon the proper introduction of the key, and which object being at- 8 5 tained the lock may be constructed with a short tube and the face of the front provided with an escutcheon, through which the key may be inserted, and pass into the tube of the lock with perfect certainty that the key-guide in the 0 tube is in the proper position to receive the key, and thus make alock which is adapted for all the various thicknesses of wood or thing to which the lock is to be attached,

whereby the dealer avoids the necessity of 5 carrying the variety of locks which the usual manufacture requires him to do; and the invention consists, principally, in constructing the key-guide and one or more of the tumblers so that in the normal position ofsuch tumbler IO( 1 will. take a holding-healing upon the keyuide combined with an independent tumbler, y which the said holding-tumbler is locked, ad which said imlependcnt tumbler is actuted by the key as it passes into the tube, so s to disengage such holding-tumbler and periit the tube to rotate.

in illustrating the invention 1 show it as pplicd to a chest-lock, which is sufficient to .lustrate the application of the invention to his class of locks generally.

A represents the back plate, provided with he usual sclvagc, B.

C represents the cap, which is constructed with a projecting tube, D; E, the key'guidc, he lace end F of which stands within the tube against the i nwm-dly-turncd flange G, formed t the outer end of the tube. The inner end i thckey-guidc rests in a bearing in the back late, A, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, and so that he key-guide may be rotated within the tube, he axis of the tube and key-guide being at ight angles to the plane of the back plate, as sual in this class of locks.

.ll. represents the bolt.

(1, Z1, (6, and represent four tumblers; but t will be understood that there may be more r less of the tumblers, as in the usual con traction of this class of locks.

lhe key-guide is constructed with a longi-.

udinal radial slot, f, as usual in this class of ubular looks. The flange (l of the tube D is :onstructed with a notch, g,which corresponds n position to the normal position of the key- 1010, as represented in Fig. l, and also as isual in this class of locks, and so that the flat :cy, such as seen in Fig. 3, may be inserted nto the key-hole, and then as the key is turned he key-guide will revolve with it and permit he bit of the key to act upon the tumblers to hrow or draw the bolt, as the case may be.

So far as I have described the lock is of comnon and well-known construction.

To hold the key-guide in its normal posiion, so that it is always adapted to receive he key, I construct the guide with a fiat suraceJr-say upon its upper side, as here repreonted----and one of the tumblers-say d--is *xtended, so that in the normal position of the .umbler------that is, when the bolt is completely brown or drawn--the said tumbler (Z will rest ipon the flat surface h of the key-guide, and the endency of the spring of the tumbler will be vo throw the key-guide into the position that ts fiat side will come into line with the correiponding surface of the key guide holding- ;umbler d. This serves to locate the keyguide in the proper position to receive the cey; but because the tumbler is yielding the icy-guide is free to be turned, notwithstandng the bearing of the tumbler thereon. To render this turning of the key-guide impossi- Jle, I introduce a locking-tumbler, I, hung upon a pivot, J, and so as to swingin a plane )arallel with the plane of the holdingtumnor (1. This tumbler I is provided with a stump, prqiectingfrom it and into the plane of the tumbler (Z, and which stump t in the normal condition of the tumbler (l is adapted to engage a corresponding notch, Z, formed in said tumbler (Z, and so that when so engaged,as seen in Fig. i, it is impossible to raise the tumbler d,- hcnce the key-guide is securely locked in its normal position, and so locked is in position to receive the key. To disengage the tumbler d, the tumbler t is constructed with an arm, K, which projects from its hub below the key-guide, and on the face of this arm is an outwardly and dewnww'lly inclined surface L, which stands in the path of the key as it comes to its position in the key-guide, and so that the bit of the key striking this arm K will depress it, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, before the key reaches its working position in the key'guide. This operation turns the tumbler I, so as to remove the stumpt' from its engagement with the tumbler d, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. i, and so as to leave that tumbler (2 free to swing in the usual manner, or as do the other tumblers. So long as the key remains in the lock, the interlocking of the kcy-guide and holding-tumblers is prevented; but as the key is withdrawn from the kcy'guide, which can only be done when the key-guide is brought to the position that its key-hole registers with the notch in the tube, the tumbler l is left free, and under the action of its spring M is returned into locking engagement with the tumbler d, and the keysition until the proper introduction of the key, as before descri -r d. Because of thus locking the ..ey-guide in the proper position to receive the key, the key-guide and its tube may be made very short, much less than the thickness of the front N, (see Fig. 2,) or to whatever the lock is attachcd,and then, an escutcheon being placed upon the outer surface correspondingto the key'guide, the key may be introduced through the cscutchcou with a perfeet certainty that the key-guide within is in proper position to receive the key.

"uide cannot be rotated or turned out of po- -1oo To direct the key with certainty to the kcyhole, the outer face of the key-guide is made of funnel shape with the center at the top of the keyhole, as seen in Fig. 2, so that wherever the point of the key may strike upon the face of the key-guide it will be directed to the key-hole.

The cscutchcon. must necessarily rotate with the key and must correspond to the key-guide. To produce such an escutcheon,I construct an escutcheon-plate, m, of larger area than the area of the tube, and so as to cover the hole made through the front to meet the tube of the lock, as SC\ .L in Figs. zand 5. Through this plate an opening is made, which corresponds substantially to the open face of the tube-that is, the diameter of the opening a through the cscutcheon-plate m corresponds to the internal diameter of the flange (It of the tube D. On the inner surface of the plate at a cup shaped socket, r, is formed, the internal diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the opening it, and upon its inner end the socket 1S constructed with an internal flange, s, which corresponds to the flange G of the tube D, as seen in Fig. 2. This socket is made of cup shape and struck from sheet metal, as seen in Fig. 7, the opening being in the bottom of the cup. Upon the edge of the cup two or more tenons, t, are formed,which set through corresponding mortises in the escutcheon-plate an, as seen in Fig. 6, so that the tenons being riveted down upon the outside, the socket is nade fast to the plate m,snbstantially as if an integral part of it; but before thus securing the socket to the plate on the escutcheon u is introduced. This escutcheon is simply a flat d sk,i11 diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the socket r and of a thickness corresponding to the distance between the flange s of the socket and the escutcheon-plate, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6. The socket and escutcheon thus applied,and the socket secured to the plate, hold the escutcheon a, but so that it may rotate freely in the socket. The escutcheon is constructed with a radial key-hole, w, corresponding to the key-hole in the keygulde E, and the escutcheon plate is constructed with a notch, a2, and the flange s with a corresponding notch, 1, the said two notches 00 3 corresponding in position to the notch g of the tube D, so that the escutcheon-plate secured to the front the notches x y will stand in line with the notch g of the tube D, as represented in Fig. 2, and so that the key introduced through the escutcheon may be passed directly into the key-guide E,directed thereto, as before described. This construction makes a firm and strong support for the rotating escutcheon,and one which is peculiarly adapted for my improvement in the lock itself. The interlocking of a single tumbler which bears upon the key-guide is all suflicient to hold the key-guide in place, yet as many tn mblers may be thus interlocked as are desirable, it only being essential that the tumbler which interlocks with the key-guide-holding tumbler shall be actuated by the key after the key-has entered the key-guide.

1. In a lock in which a rotating key-guide with a radial key-hole therein is arranged to receive the key, the combination therewith of a holding-tumbler, the said key-guide constructed with a surface adapted to engage said holding-tumbler when the key-guide is in position to receive the key, and a second tumbler constructed to engage said holdingtumbler when the key-guideis in said normal position, the said second tumbler provided witha bearing-surface over which the key will pass after it enters the key-guide, substantially as described, and whereby the said key in so passing into the key-guide will disengage the said second tumbler from the holding-tumbler.

2. In a lock substantially such as described, the combination of the key-guide E, constructed with a radial longitudinal key-hole opening through one side, the said key-guide constructed with a flat surface, h, one or more tumblers, d, hung in the case to swing in a plane at right angles to the axis of said keyguide and arranged to bear upon said flat surface of the key-guide when the key-guide stands in the position to receive the key, a tumbler, I, hung in the case so as to swing in a plane parallel with the holding-tumbler d, the said tumbler I constructed with a stump, i, and the said holding-tumbler with a corresponding notch, the said stump and notch arranged to engage the said tumblers I and d when the key-guide is in the normal position, and the tumbler I constructed with an arm extending therefrom provided with an inclined surface in the path of the key as it enters the key-guide, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a lock having a keyguide, E, constructed with a radial longitudinal key-hole adapted to receive the key and so as to rotate with the key, the case of the lock constructed with a tube, D, concentric with said key-guide E, and within which said key-guide E is arranged and so as to rotate therein, the said tube constructed with a flange, G, at its outer end overlapping the face ofthe said key-guide, and the said flange constructed with a notch, 9, corresponding to the key-hole when the key-guide is in the normal position, an escutcheon consisting of an escutcheon-plate, m, having an opening through it corresponding in diameter to the internal diameter of the said flange G, and the said opening constructed with a notch, at, corresponding to the notch g of the flange G, the socket r, constructed with a flange, s, upon its inner edge, the internal diameter of which corresponds to the opening a in the plate m, and the said flange s constructed with a notch, y, corresponding to the notch or of the opening in the plate m, the said socket 1' also constructed with ten 011s t, set through correspond ing mortises in the plate in, riveted thereon as a means of securing the socket to the plate, with the disk a within said socket and between the flange s and the plate m, the said disk at constructed with a radial key-hole, w, corresponding to the radialkey-hole in the key-guide, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a lock having a rotative key-guide constructed with a longitudinal radial keyholeadapted to receive the key, a tube within which said key-guide rotates, the said tube constructed with an internal flange atits outer end to overlap the face of the said key-guide, and the said flange constructed with a notch corresponding to the said key-hole, the face of thesaid key-guide constructed of funnel shape, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7 JAMES ROCHE. Witnesses:

M. G. OGDEN, B. J. PLUMB. 

